Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court (SC) requesting it to direct the federal government to extend stay of Afghan refugees – both registered and unregistered – until December 2017.

Advocate Zulfiqar Ahmen Bhutta in personal capacity on Saturday filed a petition under Article 184 (3) in the apex court making Cabinet Division secretary, Foreign Ministry secretary, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chief secretary, KP inspector general of police (IGP), Punjab IGP, Federal Investigative Agency (FIA) director general and KP Afghan Refugees commissioner as respondents.

The petition also sought two years extension in stay of Afghan refugees who have immovable property worth Rs 10 million as well as businesses’ investments not less than Rs 20 million.

The petitioner asked the top court to direct the federal government and KP chief secretary to impose a ban on purchase of the refugees’ properties by police and personnel of law enforcement agencies.

The petitioner contended that IGPs of both the provinces – Punjab and KP – might be directed not to harass even a single Afghan refugee. It said that FIA DG might also be directed to maintain a record of those government officials who had already purchased properties of Afghan refugees after January 2016.

The petition added that despite the directions of the federal government, police and other law enforcement agencies had started detaining Afghan refugees in Peshawar and other parts of country. “Capital city police claimed to have arrested 305 Afghan refugees in Peshawar during the last one week under the Foreigner’s Act,” the petition said.

“Due to political instability in the system to deal with such sensitive issues, some officials in lieu of considering national interest have started looking after their personal interest and some of them have started to harass Afghan refugees. Some government officials who are in influential positions want to get undue benefits regarding refugees’ properties. Some of government officials are interested to purchase their properties on meagre prices. So in view of this intention they are harassing the Afghan refugees through state machinery,” the petitioner contended.